Captain Favorite's Fishing Forum Oct. 29, 2012

• Catch of the Week
  Tom Bie, editor of The Drake magazine, with a nice albie caught and released on a Grassett Snook Minnow fly while fishing the coastal gulf off Sarasota with Capt. Rick Grassett.

BRADENTON – Gulf gag grouper and Atlantic vermillion snapper season will end on the first of November. Following the passing of Hurricane Sandy this weekend here will be a significant cool down. Fishing for false albacore, Spanish mackerel, tripletail and more in the coastal gulf should continue to get better as the water cools and baitfish schools become more concentrated, accoding to our contributing captain. Shallow water fishing for reds, trout and snook should also continue to improve as it gets cooler.

Fishing Updates

Gulf gag grouper, Atlantic vermilion snapper season closures start Nov. 1

• The recreational harvest season for gag grouper in most Gulf of Mexico waters and vermilion snapper in the Atlantic Ocean will close on Nov. 1. These closures are intended to reduce overfishing and increase the population of gag grouper and vermilion snapper.
• The gag grouper recreational harvest season in Gulf of Mexico state and federal waters will close Nov. 1, with the final day of harvest being Oct. 31. This closure does not include state waters off Franklin, Jefferson, Wakulla and Taylor counties, which were open April 1 through June 30 this year, or state waters off Monroe County, which is currently open through Dec. 31 and is included in Atlantic gag grouper seasons and rules. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) manages marine fish from the shore to nine nautical miles in the Gulf of Mexico.
• The recreational harvest of vermilion snapper closes Nov. 1 in all state and federal Atlantic waters off Florida.  State and federal waters off Monroe County that are south and east of U.S. 1 are included in this closure. The FWC manages marine fish from the shore to three nautical miles in the Atlantic.

Weekly Fishing Report by Capt. Rick Grassett

Sarasota winter resident, Tom Lamb, with a nice false albacore caught and released on a CAL jig with a shad tail while fishing the coastal gulf off Sarasota with Capt. Rick Grassett.

Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and false albacore (little tunny), Spanish mackerel and tripletail in the coastal gulf off Longboat Key on lures and flies during the past week.

Orvis Rod and Tackle marketing director, Tom Rosenbauer, and Tom Bie, editor of The Drake fly fishing magazine, fished the coastal gulf off Longboat Key with me on Friday afternoon and Saturday. Fish were picky, but we stuck with them and were successful. On Friday, they caught and released about 10 Spanish mackerel, a false albacore and a tripletail. The mackerel and albie were caught with my Grassett Snook Minnow and epoxy glass minnow fly patterns. We also had shots at 3 tripletail, hooked two and landed one on a brown and orange Grassett Flats Minnow fly. With stone crab traps plentiful in the coastal gulf, tripletail fishing is a good option when conditions are good.

With an approaching front, action was hot on Saturday! We dodged mackerel schools in favor of the much larger and stronger albies. They caught and released seven or eight albies on epoxy glass minnow and Grassett Snook Minnow fly patterns. Tom Rosenbauer and I fished on Sunday following the front. As is often the case, fishing can be challenging immediately following a front. Spanish mackerel schools were up and down in a matter of seconds, making them tough to get a shot at. We hunted until we found a few small schools of albies working in a small area. They were also tough to get on, but if you got a fly into the school they would eat. We caught and released three albies and had a couple of other hook ups on epoxy glass minnow fly patterns and my Grassett Snook Minnow fly.

On a scouting trip on Wednesday we found plentiful Spanish mackerel and albies in the coastal gulf but found them very tough to get to eat due to the tiny “snot baits” (tiny, clear minnows only about one-inch long) that they were eating. We managed to hook a couple of albies and land 1 in a few hours of fishing. Fish had a change of attitude on Thursday when Sarasota winter resident, Tom Lamb, fished with me. He caught numerous Spanish mackerel and an albie on CAL jigs with shad tails. The main difference that day was that predators had baitfish schooled into bait balls as they recklessly crashed through them.

Following the passing of Hurricane Sandy this weekend here will be a significant cool down. Fishing for false albacore, Spanish mackerel, tripletail and more in the coastal gulf should continue to get better as the water cools and baitfish schools become more concentrated. Shallow water fishing for reds, trout and snook should also continue to improve as it gets cooler.

Tight Lines,

Capt. Rick Grassett

FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor

Orvis- Endorsed Outfitter Guide

CB’s Saltwater Outfitters-2011 Orvis Outfitter of the Year

Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.

(941) 923-7799

E-mail snookfin@aol.com

www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com

Fishing Forecast 

To create a forecast specific to your zip code visit www.wunderground.com

The pressure gradient remains tight over the eastern Gulf of Mexico. This pressure gradient along with the arrival of colder air will keep north to northwest winds at advisory levels and continued rough seas in the forecast through at least Monday. Winds and seas are currently expected to start relaxing later Tuesday or Tuesday night.

Monday

Northwest winds around 20 knots. Bay and inland waters choppy. Monday night will bring northwest winds around 20 knots. Bay and inland waters choppy.

2012/10/22Mon12:02 a.m.1.56L

2012/10/22Mon05:57 a.m.2.23H

2012/10/22Mon02:43 p.m.0.34L

2012/10/22Mon09:47 p.m.1.72H

Tuesday

Northwest winds 15 to 20 knots. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop to choppy. Tuesday night will bring northwest winds 10 to 15 knots. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop.

2012/10/23Tue02:25 a.m.1.42L

2012/10/23Tue07:53 a.m.2.06H

2012/10/23Tue03:42 p.m.0.47L

2012/10/23Tue10:11 p.m.1.84H

Wednesday

Northwest winds 10 to 15 knots then becoming west 5 to 10 knots in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Wednesday night will bring west winds around 15 knots then becoming southwest 5 to 10 knots after midnight. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop. A slight chance of showers.

2012/10/24Wed04:01 a.m.1.15L

2012/10/24Wed09:33 a.m.1.98H

2012/10/24Wed04:30 p.m.0.61L

2012/10/24Wed10:35 p.m.1.97H

Thursday

Southwest winds around 15 knots. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop. A slight chance of showers. Thursday night will bring northwest winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop.

2012/10/25Thu05:06 a.m.0.84L

2012/10/25Thu10:48 a.m.1.95H

2012/10/25Thu05:09 p.m.0.77L

2012/10/25Thu10:57 p.m.2.1H

Friday

Northeast winds 5 to 10 knots then becoming east around 15 knots in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop. Monday night will bring northeast winds 10 to 15 knots. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop.

2012/10/26Fri05:55 a.m.0.56L

2012/10/26Fri11:49 a.m.1.92H

2012/10/26Fri05:42 p.m.0.92L

2012/10/26Fri11:18 p.m.2.23H

Solunar Forecast